Sylmar football surging under coach Evander Williams

Here come the Spartans.

Yes, Sylmar High is back in the football talk after a 3-1 start, including a 31-20 win over Crenshaw last week.

The comeback will be orchestrated by trainer Evander Williams, who took over during the COVID-delayed spring 2021 season after being a teacher at Sylmar and waiting for the right time to step up front. He grew up in San Diego.

Sylmar has already beaten two teams it lost to last season, Grant and Viewpoint. Now it’s up to Panorama in Friday night’s opener at home to the Valley Mission League. Panorama defeated Sylmar 21-0 last season.

Williams keeps his players in shape by having them compete in wrestling and on the track. He also finally had a full offseason. The results show an improvement.

Sophomore quarterback Jacob McDonald has used his athleticism to bolster the Spartans on offense. Middle linebacker Michael Gabriel ignited the defense.

Sylmar is favored in games against Reseda, San Fernando and Van Nuys. The only challenges remaining in the regular season are Panorama, Canoga Park, and Kennedy. The Spartans are in position to have their most wins since going 6-5 in 2017.